Hi Darien

I'm working with a few young horses at the present time and I feel like 'feed time' is a key training time! All four stabled horses have learned that they MUST take two steps back until I'll open the stable door. They are also learning from my older horse, Pie, to neigh for food not bang or bash.

I have Corky a big coloured horse out in the field who is truly a gentle giant but when I bring food he comes at me with his ears back. To start with I felt safer putting a plastic bag on a stick to keep him away from me until I put the feed down. He is then NOT allowed to approach until he pricks his ears. It's amazing how quckly they can learn this! THEN I will move away at my own pace - but I won't allow him to feel he's chased me away.

So do try the plastic bag on a stick but you'll need to be very consistent in not allowing your filly to mug you and get the food as that would be too good a reward for bad behaviour!

Good Luck from Kelly in England

Thanks so much Kelly.
I will definitely try the bag on a stick.
Much appreciated.
Darien

Yes I agree, my son and I got into the habit of staying on the opposite side of the fence and only tossing the hay over after the horses took a couple of steps backwards. It turned out to be a top idea as when we moved and got stables, my cheeky thoroughbred pawed the gate open while I was approaching with a bucket of feed and his reaction was to back away from me, not charge into the feed bucket.

I agree with Kelly about how quickly they learn the "feeding time rules". The yard I work at had a mare who kicked the door (hard!) everytime her food arrived. One day I went up to the door and as she kicked, turned round and took her food away and went out of sight for a few minutes. When she was quiet, I took the feed back, she kicked the door and I walked away (with the food!). It took only four times for her to work out that she was sending the food away. No more kicking the door!

I had a simlar problem over the excitement of feeding time. No bashing the door or barging, my chap is similar to Kelly's in that he moves back a couple of steps before the door is opened. However, the clever chap thought he would run laps of the stable instead....so, every time he stands still I walk towards him, every time he moves to start a lap, I turn and walk away. He now stands like a statue, glued to the spot until I get to the door and then backs respectfully away! New pony has now arrived and currently teaching the rules again. Very important now as she will eventually be a child's pony and don't want anyone knocked over!

Do you feed your horses at the same time every day, or different times

For my part, I keep roughly the same hours, but I'm not a slave to the clock.
Weekdays, they get breakfast around 7 am - before I go to work. On work-free days, it can be as late as 9 am, but then they usually got their last meal a bit later the evening before, which in turn can vary between 8 pm and 10 pm.
Lunch is whenever someone is around to hand it out, but generally right between breakfast and supper.
I'd love to be able to feed them 4 times, but it isn't doable due to work hours.
The one thing I try to look out for is that it isn't too far between supper and breakfast, and that they have enough for supper to last most of the night.

Darien,
Something that really makes horses respect you is to back them up. Keep backing them up 25 to 30 feet then draw them back to you, not looking them in the eyes and rub them.
Keep doing this until they start licking thier lips and their ears come forward.

You can back them up in several ways, by placing your hand on thier nose, gently and push them back, stand in front of them and pull the line downward towards thier chest and walk forward making them back up or do it Monty's way, keep your eyes down then flick them up quickly and look them in the eyes. All of these work and your horse will rescept your space.

Put the food in the bucket but do not let them have it without your permission, just wiggle your finger over the bucket, keep doing this for a few seconds and then remove your hand, giving them permission.

It works with my mare.

My 3 year old semi Ferrel (now gelded) appaloosa also developed a very aggressive attitude around feed time. He would lung at people over his stable at feed time with teeth bared. We have done a year of ground work and have now backed him all going great. We taught him with body language to back up. He learnt very quickly to back right up to the back of the stable before he would get his food. But always kept his ears well back. Then the revolutionary idea came from a friend..wait till he puts them forward. Now he backs up politely and pricks his ears forward, however, as soon as you go to put the bowl down he puts his ears back again and moves forward to the bowl (he doesn't rush or try to bite). I am now wondering if i should play the game of removing it again till he puts them forward again or if i should just be grateful that things are so much better than they were?

Helen
Sounds like you have your horse well trained and is respecting you. I would not mess with him too much more as you might start to loose ground. One thing you might try if your horse is getting aggressive around grain is to throw in a little hay then go into the stall making sure that the horse stays put or back out until he does

Horses don't like to have game playing around their food and that is why it is sometimes difficult to get them respectful, but once they are you usually don't have any more issues

Cheers

Great comments - I guess we all experience this problem at some stage. My horses now just walk to their respective troughs in the field and waite for me. They are not stabled. They do this because they know they have no chance of getting their food until they are in position. Years ago when I first owned a horses I used to allow them to eat out of the bucket while I carried it to the trough and that was disasterous. Experience helps so much with horses and training. Be consistent - just don't let them near the bucket until they are at the trough. Kelly's idea of a bag on a stick is excellent for a young pushy horse. Young horses will inevitably try to test out who is boss on occasions - particularly at feed time. My young mare at one stage decided to put ears back and chase me away from her feed before I was ready to move away. Although I didn't have a wand or stick with me I immediately chased her away with the bucket and only let her return once she was docile. The next feed time I took my wand with me and repeated the exercise. It only took a few times as others have indicated until she was perfect. She will now let me stay close while she is eating but as Monty says its best to leave them alone to enjoy their food once they are respectful. So now she goes to her trough, waites patiently until I have emptied the bucket and I then leave her in peace so that she can relax and enjoy her food. sometimes I do change her rugs over while she is eating and she accepts that. Just be consistent and it will pay off!!

I suggest unti the horse is trained better to put the food in the feeder and then let the horse in. No chance of crowding that way. And leave the horse alone while he eats. That's his time and it should be uninterrupted. Good luck!